Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti is such a fun regency romance. In this installment of the series, we follow Lydia Hope-Wallace to Scotland. Since we left her in Ne'er Duke Well, she has been publishing political pamphlets and writing to Arthur Baird, Fifth Earl of Strahrannoch regarding the topics. Because they get along, she has no other prospects, and he is in need of her weath, she decides to run to Scotland with Georgiana and propose to Arthur.

Unfortunately, things go sideways very quickly, starting with zebras running amuck and almost taking out Lydia and Georgiana. Not to worry, Arthur saves them both and enlists Lydia's help in finding his missing brother. It seems the Earl's brother has become involved in some sort of conspiracy. Arthur and Lydia must follow his trail to uncover the truth of it all, if they can overcome their building passion long enough to track him down.

If I had to pick just one word to describe this book it would be fun. Like the first book, we get dual, third-person POV from both Arthur and Lydia. The way that Alexandra Vasti writes men's desire and passion is everything I want in future romance novels. She builds genuine chemistry between her characters so well and these two just could not keep their hands to themselves. There is definitely some pining but not much slowburn in this installment, unlike the first book. Earl Crush would also be easy to read as a standalone novel, if you happen to pick this one up first. I actually read about 20% before I realized it was the second and went back to read the first. It gives more context to Lydia, Georgiana, and Belvoir's Library, but you wouldn't find yourself lost.

I also love that in this book we get to see Lydia come out of her shell and not in a she realized she could because a man told her she could type of way. I would've loved to get more from the side characters though, see their motivations, relationships, and history but I understand that the story had so much going on already, it might've been hard to fit in.

I can definitely see myself re-reading this for an easy, fun palatte cleanser with open-door, explicit spicy scenes, which makes it easy to give Earl Crush 4/5 stars.

I can't wait to see what the next book has in store for us, fingers crossed for Georgiana's story!

Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This review will be posted on Fable, Storygraph, and Goodreads. I will publish reviews on Amazon and B&N when available (around the release date).


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"USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti returns with another hot, hilarious Regency romp about a reclusive earl and the wallflower-turned-radical-pamphleteer who turns his life upside down.

For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets - and for almost as long, she's corresponded with the reclusive Earl of Strathrannoch. When Arthur's latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of: a marriage of convenience. To, um, herself.

But the real earl has no idea who she is. When a bewitching stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunned. And when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur's name, he's bloody furious. He's content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn't.)

But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who's become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia's help. What he doesn't need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother's mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe - even his heart."

But his brother couldn't be all bad orchestrating happiness for his brother... even if accidental...

I stayed up till 2am finishing this book! I couldn’t put it down.

Vasti’s characters are so memorable and relatable while also feeling authentically Regency. You can tell the author does her research to make these characters products of their time.

Lydia’s anxiety rep was well done. I loved how she longed to be seen as capable even despite her struggles. And Arthur was the sweetest giant teddy bear of a man who protected her while also giving her the respect she needed. Their chemistry was perfect, and the spicy scenes were plentiful and hot!

The plot had so many exciting turns I did not expect. It kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how the characters would survive the latest twist! There’s a lot more action and adventure than your typical Regency romance!

I must say, I enjoyed this one even more than book 1! And I can’t wait for book 3 next fall. Pick up this book today for a spicy and exciting ride.

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press, and Alexandra Vasti for my free copy to review.

I really enjoyed Lydia and Arthur’s characters. Sometimes with rotating POVs, I’m looking forward to only one character’s timeline. But I wanted to know from both.

In many romance books, there is a lack of communication between the love interests. This is a pet peeve of mine. Many books could be half as long if only they were honest with each other.

It made me happy to realize that Lydia and Arthur do communicate. There’s some angst but they talk, they are honest.

They get to know each other, flaws and all. And I love how much they love each other, no matter their supposed flaws according to society or their actual flaws.

I also enjoyed the epilogue, in the form of letters.

It was a lovely romance read. I was happy to go back into the Belvoir’s Library world. I am looking forward to Georgiana’s story next!

Vasti has been one of my favorite historical romance writers since her Halifax Hellion novellas and her second full length novel does not disappoint! No spoilers, but even when this story dipped into some tropes that aren't typically my vibe, I was still able to enjoy it!

I loved this book! Alexandra Vasti's character-driven historical romances never disappoint. A delightful combination of romance, wit, adventure, and humor.

Fizzy banter, electric chemistry, a hero and a heroine on wonderful character journeys and narrative arcs that fulfill and complement each other - possibly the best romance of 2025 and it's not even out yet.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. It might actually be my favorite romance of the year. It has everything I want - two fleshed out leads, fun side characters, a Quest, a misunderstanding that leads to a fake marriage that leads to a real relationship, a Mystery - and it's so well written. This is going in my Auto Recommend list for when people ask for a good historical. The social anxiety that Lydia feels is far too relatable, but I love the connection with Arthur. 5 stars, wouldn't change a thing.

What a marvelously entertaining book. Alexandra delivers again with aplomb. Her characters are real, they are shy or bold and they fight for everything they want. Mistaken idententity, fake marriage, a race to discover a missing brother, espionage, assassination all thrown together and topped off with love, laughter and sexiness is going to put this book on top of the charts.

Loved it

3.5 stars. This was a really cute and fun regency rom com. I enjoyed the romance and a lot of the characters were well written. I especially liked Lydia and the fact that she was introverted. I did feel like the pacing was a little off, and towards the end I kind of stopped caring about the politics plot that was going on.

I enjoyed the romance in Earl Crush so much. I just loved Arthur and when Lydia found her confidence, they were so much fun to watch fall in love. With Vasti's previous book, I felt like there was extra stuff added in that cluttered things up a little. The spy story line felt a little last minute and a bit of nonsense. I liked the letter deception and the "where's my brother" story line, but it was a lot of clutter that could have been cleaned up some. The romance though, it was great.

Thanks @netgalley @smpromance and @alexandravasti for the chance to read Alex's second book, Earl Crush! It releases on January 21, 2025 and is available for pre-order from @blue_cypress_books.

Filled with THE BEST Bridgerton vibes, Earl Crush had me laughing, pining, and trying to discover the mystery at the center of the story.

Alex is such a fresh, funny, HOT voice in the historical romance space (which should not be "dead" despite the *discourse*). You should pre-order Earl Crush and read Book 1 in the series--Ne'er Duke Well--before it comes out.

Heiress Lydia has secretly authored political pamphlets for the past three years, and, in the process, developed a pen pal relationship with a Scottish Earl who just might be the only man who truly understands her. So, when she goes to his estate in Scotland to propose to him (you see, his earldom is in a lot of debt and she's got money to spare), she learns that the man she's been conversing with is the young brother of the Earl. The real Earl knows nothing about her and is furious that his brother would try to hunt her fortune. There's also a small matter of the younger brother stealing a rifle scope and possibly being in league with some bad people, so the Earl (Arthur) and Lydia team up to try to discover his younger brother's whereabouts before it's too late. Along the way are zebras chases, fake marriages, Bonaparte loyalists, and much more.

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: only one bed, secret identities, SO MUCH PINING, fake marriage, touch her and die

UGH I feel bad, this was an ARC from NetGalley, there's no excuse for being his late on the review. I don't do these often, all opinions are my own, and it shouldn't be surprising why I literally JUMPED on this ARC as soon as Vasti noted it was available on NetGalley.

Which is to say, I have fallen hook link and sinker for Vasti and her writing, because I am in love with all the Halifax Hellions.

Finding an author whose entire oeuvre you seem to like is...magical. There are many authors whose books I will read without question (Emily Henry, Brandon Sanderson, Naomi Novik come to mind right away but there are more as well). But that's not to say that you love all their work, just that their average output is something that you enjoy. And even if you do enjoy everything you've read by them, doesn't mean that you rush to read them (see: Sanderson, and my glacial pace through the Cosmere). And there are some authors who used to be on that hallowed shelf but over time have slipped down.

Vasti, however, has blown into my life like a breath of fresh air and firmly established herself as an author to read. As I was telling my friend Evin, it's like there are multiple forks in the road in every romance novel, and the characters can pick either logic or drama. Both are great! Books need both! It's not often than an author always picks the one you want and is able to pick both. Plus excuse me if I say that her choice is also the right one ;)

Earl Crush is no different--here we meet Lydia, one of Selina-from-N'er-Duke-Well's friends, and her perfectly reasonable, not-at-all-harebrained scheme to offer herself in marriage to a man she's only ever corresponded with about her seditious pamphlets advocating for womens rights and other nonsense. She sets off to Scotland, finds zebras, and everything else is a bit slapdash and silly and overall wonderful. Is it somewhat unrealistic? Yes, for sure, but we have to stretch a bit to enjoy ourselves in this era.

Earl Crush is the latest book by Alexandra Vasti. I have absolutely loved each and every one she's written so far. Lydia has been firmly on the shelf after 7 years of socially disasterous seasons. She writes political pamphlets in secret and has been corresponding with the Scottish Earl for years. She decides to run away to Scotland and reveal her identity to the Earl while offering him marriage. She knows from his letters that he is destitute and the castle is in need of repairs. Once she arrives, she is shocked to learn she hasn't been corresponding with the Earl but his flighty brother. Arthur is the Earl of Strathrannoch but he inherited a castle in shambles. When a pretty woman knocks on his door and claims they've been corresponding for years, Arthur doesn't know quite what to do with her. Que a menegerie of animals, road trips, secret identies, and undeniable chemisty.

Vasti is such a fun writer. She has a way of making each book a fun romp with witty banter. Her writing reminds me a lot of one of my favorite historical writers, Tessa Dare. I cannot wait to read the next in the series; which will be a sapphic romance.

Thank you to Alexandra Vasti, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #alexandravasti #earlcrush #stmartinspress

Perfection. So much fun. Lydia is me in the 1800s 😅. I love historical fiction/historical romance and this is one of my new favorites! And I love how much Lydia and Arthur write letters to each other in the epilogue, just so damn sweet. I love them so much! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

EARL CRUSH was such a fun historical romance. One of the things I love about this author is that she creates such interesting stories and characters from this well traveled genre. But every time I pick up her novels, I feel like I am reading the genre for the first time.

This book follows Lydia Hope-Wallace, a shy socialite and also radical feminist who writes and publishes pamphlets meeting Arthur Baird, a Scottish earl, who Lydia thinks she has been writing to for a number of years. Hilarity ensues, with the fun tropes of secret identity and fake marriage intermixed with mystery.

I personally enjoyed everything about this book. From the character development, to the story, everything felt new and fresh. The author can clearly write, and what makes her a new favorite author of mine is the fact that she can bring in new ideas to the genre without it feeling forced. I loved the blossoming relationship between Lydia and Arthur and their witty one liners. I loved the multiple POVs. I loved the side characters. And I loved the story.

Overall, this was a great book for those that love historical romance and are looking for a story that is well written and also engaging. To me, this one is worth the read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely LOVED. Couldn’t put it down. Adorable, romantic, delightful, fun, adventurous, and swoon worthy. I want to turn back and read it all over again. I’m just sad that I don’t have any more backlist titles of hers to read. I need more, ASAP!

What a delight! This book was sexy, warm, and hilarious, and also had a surprising amount of adventure. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Earl Crush is even better than Ne'er Duke Well! I loved Lydia (social anxiety/radical-pamphlet-writing queen) and Arthur (reclusive burly Scot is probably my favorite type of aristo MMC). I laughed throughout, couldn't figure out the twist until it was right in front of me, and I teared up at the authentically sweet epilogue. Alexandra Vasti continues her track record of giving us socially-aware, historically interesting, and just plain FUN romance novels.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! Almost everything about this book worked for me - the characters, the pacing, the banter, the plot (zebras! A mystery!), and a sweet romance. I had needed a historical romance like this in my life and this came along at the right time. This is my first book from Vasti but it most certainly will not be my last - she’s really great at the perfect blend of historical romance in my opinion - fun, steamy, sweet, and thoughtful. I highly recommend this book for fans of historical romance and fun. One of the best historical romances I have read in a while.